Pianoforte



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES BOSSERT AND JOHN SCHOMACKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIANOFORTE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 2,595, dated April 29, 1842.

T 0 @ZZ whom, @'25 may concern Be it known that we, @Hannes Rossem' and JOHN SCHOMACKER, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Constructing Pianofortes, and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing', making a part of the same, in which- Figure 1 represents a cross section of the pianoforte; Fig. 2, detached views of the hammer.

A, a front view of the bridge.

The general construction of our instrument is similar to those in common use, the strings (1,) running horizontal. The pin block (2,) instead of having a bridge in the usual way is rabbeted on the edge (3,) into which a metallic bar (4,) is screwed having small project-ions (5,) on its upper side placed at some distance apart for the purpose of sustaining the bridge hereafter described; the upper surface of the bar (4,) is below the level of the pin block, and the projections; on it extend up above the pin block; upon these projections we fasten in any convenient manner a straight piece of metal (6,) to form the bridge, which is thereby sutliciently elevated above the pin block to admit the strings underneath it; into the under side of this bridge we drive the usual steady pins (7,); the tuning pins (S) are thus in a convenient position to get at, and the instrument has the advantage of the hanuners striking the strings on the side opposite to the bridge, which produces a sweet, clear, and brilliant tone; this metallic bridge may extend the whole length of the pin block, or only a part of the way; the remainder being like the com` mon piano. A front view of the bridge, and bar (4,) is represented in the detached figure (A).

)Ve vary the construction of the grand action in the following particulars: the hammer beam or rail (9,) on which the capsals (10,) that form the fulcra of the hammers, are screwed, and the rail (11) against which the hammers (12,) rest, are

connected together by the end pieces (13,) which are hinged in any of the usual ways at their forward end onto the end pieces of the frame (14) containing the keys so as to be raised up entirely clear of all the fixtures attached to the keys; by which arrangement any one of the keys can be taken out and replaced again with the greatest convenience; the bent wire (15) attached to the frame (14) just beyond the end of the pin 13) serves to hold it down to its place. T e block (d), into which the shank (a) is fixed, is forked at the end, and elnbraces the capsal, through which the fulcrum pin is put; between the fork and the shank, there is a boX, or mortise through the block, to admit the lifter (5); there is a jog (c) in the side of the mortise next the. fulcrum, against which the lifter acts, just on a line with the fulcrum and shank, and a projection (CZ) below the under side of the block to guide the lifter and prevent its falling back so as not to enter the mortise, when the hammer is thrown up; these are coveredwith leather to prevent noise; by this arrangement it will be seen that the lifter acts upon the hammer above the usual point of contact and is kept steady by the sides of the mortise.

lVhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent, is-

1. The construction and arrangement of the hammer, so as to admit the lifter into the block. and act at a point on a linewith its fulcrum; and its combination with the grand action, as herein described.

2, )Ve also claim the bridge (6,) elevated above the pin block (2,) in the manner and for the purpose herein described.

3. )Ve also claim in combination therewith the metallic bar (4,) having on it the projections for the purpose set forth.

1. )Ve further claim the hinged hammer beam or rail g combined and arranged as before described.

CHARLES BOSSERT. JOHN SCHOMACKER. )Witnesses Jlxcoe FRISHMUTH, Jr., T. SNIDER. 

